Negotiators for the optical profession, led by ABDO president James Russell, met health minister Rosie Winterton this week to discuss the important and expanding role of dispensing opticians under the GOS review.
The meeting comes on the back of the Bosanquet Report, which set out clearly the expanded role dispensing opticians could play under a reformed primary ophthalmic services system, and highlighting the excellence of existing practice and skills, along with opportunities for the future.
The negotiators, including ABDO's Tony Garrett, the AOP's Bob Hughes and FODO's David Hewlett, emphasised that there was a gap in the current regulation under which optometrists are listed as 'performers' (currently assistants) on PCT lists, but not dispensing opticians.
Russell explained that DOs were professionals in their own right and supervise others, often dealing with very vulnerable groups of patients and that the public had the same right to expect the protection of local listing as it did for other autonomous professionals. It was argued that this was a gap and the GOS review offered a unique opportunity to plug it.
'We explained very carefully the clinical role dispensing opticians play, often with very vulnerable patients. We could not have put the case for listing of dispensing opticians as part of the clinical team more strongly,' said Russell.
Tony Garrett added that the minister was clearly interested in eye care and the expanded services that can be provided in the community. 'She also clearly shares our aim of public protection and at least heard what we said. However, these are early days in the discussions, and we will no doubt need to return to these points with officials during the later stages of the GOS review.'